Knight Frank Viticulture
Britain is the fastest-growing wine region in the world. This rapid growth is fuelled by the impact of climate change and the local soil that’s suitable for producing still and sparkling wine. There are now over 890 vineyards in the country, with more than 195 wineries. The area of planted vineyards in the UK has quadrupled since 2000.
There is some uncertainty on the sector’s future, with questions around how wine businesses will have to pivot their pricing, sales channel, and brand strategies to be perceived as offering good value and maintain a sustainable competitive advantage within an increasingly commoditised market.
To help clients navigate the English market and establish a strong business within it, we’ve designed a modern, innovative consultancy. It’s built on the traditional values of outstanding customer service, that exists to grow profitable English wine businesses, through land and property advice, geospatial-led vineyard solutions, outstanding visitor destinations, and talked-about brands.
Geospatial location services
We’ve produced an in-house, bespoke digital mapping tool that reviews data on soil type, altitude, slope direction, historic weather patterns, and title ownership. We can use this tool to identify and approach the owners of premium land suitable for vines on behalf of wine producers. Using this software, we’re able to buy and rent land on behalf of the country’s leading wine producers, including Chapel Down, Champagne Taittinger’s UK brand Domaine Evremond, and many more.
Property and land investment and sales
As existing wine businesses grow and new entrants join the market, the value of wine businesses is quickly surpassing the asset value of their planted vineyards and built wineries, to be represented by the intrinsic value of the business and its brand. This requires a specific valuation capability, and a deep understanding of the cash needs of wine businesses. Our winery investment consultants have been involved in this market for longer than any consultants in the sector. They’re the market leaders in offering winery business investment and sale advice.
Higher value wine business
The British wine market is saturated with wine brands and is incredibly competitive in the sales of wine through the on- and off-trade. This puts pressure and uncertainty on margins and wine business profits and losses.
We’ve developed a tried and tested service that is a more sustainable and profitable commercial platform for the future growth of English wine estates. It creates a higher value wine business, connected to outstanding hospitality-led visitor destinations, which are supported by stronger communities. Own retail solutions also help reduce a reliance on lower margin trade channels.
Renewable energy
In partnership with Zestec Renewable Energy, we provide clients with a zero-capital outlay solar PV solution with no maintenance costs. In a world of inconsistent cost pressures, this vineyard and winery solution produces cheaper, greener power, generated from your own land and roofs. It helps to reduce energy bills and supports your ESG objectives, with a big step towards net zero.
Grant funding services
Grant funding is available for all sectors of viticulture, from start-ups to well-established businesses looking to invest in expanding operations, develop manufacturing and increasing production, building storage capacity, or developing new business sectors.
We have a unique grant funding service, accessing 9,000 public and private grant funding opportunities available to our clients. This includes the £168 million of funding made available by Defra. We give a real time picture of all funds, from those launching soon to those at the end of their application window. This knowledge allows grant funding to be stacked together and developed as part of business plans and proposals.
Regenerative agriculture
Regenerative agriculture provides great opportunities to introduce changes within and around the vineyard, which benefit the overall health of the vineyard and enhance visitor experience. Examples include changing inter row management, using micro clovers as a perennial living mulch under the vines, and introducing low height pollinators and nitrogen fixing plants to add diversity in the rows.
Changes can be implemented in a controlled and managed way, which accounts for individual vineyard requirements and recognises the high value of the crop.
Our Viticulture experts
Ed Mansel Lewis heads up the Viticulture department. He has worked in the vineyard consultancy sector for over seven years. He’s a chartered surveyor by training but has also completed an MBA focused on the mergers and acquisitions of international wine businesses. He believes this will become one of most sought-after services as the wine industry continues to mature.
Ed has worked for a wide range of clients including Domaine Evremond (Taittinger’s UK trading name), Simpsons Wine Estate, Chapel Down, Hush Heath, and Vineyard Farms Ltd.
Prior to joining Knight Frank, James Osborn was Managing Director at the Squerryes Wine Estate, a family-owned 2,500-acre working English estate on the North Downs. He was responsible for the estate’s growth plans through the creation of a strong performing wine, hospitality, and retail business. In his seven years with Squerryes, he turned the business from a boutique family-run winery into an award-winning super-premium UK wine business – delivering a distinct brand, outstanding hospitality-led visitor destination, and strong membership programme.
During his time at Squerryes, James also helped to create the Wine Garden of England, a collective which promotes Kent as the leading destination for wine tourism in the UK.